The present invention relates to poultry processing apparatus and more particularly to a unique apparatus for removing the skin from poultry pieces such as chicken thighs.
Various automatic poultry processing machines have been developed to increase productivity. With such equipment, chicken carcasses, for example, may be separated into their component parts. These parts may then be subjected to further processing operations, such as skin removal, deboning and finally packaging. Examples of poultry processing equipment may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,624 entitled "POULTRY CUT-UP MACHINE" and issued on Apr. 12, 1977, to Martin et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,421 entitled "POULTRY LEG/BACK PROCESSOR" and issued on May 31, 1983, to Martin.
A typical skinning device includes a pair or set of elongated, counter-rotating rollers. The rollers have an intermeshing, spiral or helical-cut configuration. A conveyor moves the poultry part along and in engagement with the rollers. The rollers engage the skin and tear or pull the skin from the part. Examples of such devices may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,119,144 entitled "POULTRY GIZZARD PEELING ROLLS" and issued on Jan. 28, 1964, to Hill; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,283 entitled "MACHINE FOR REMOVING SKIN FROM PIECES OF POULTRY" and issued on Jan. 6, 1976, to Martin. This latter patent discloses several embodiments for processing various poultry parts. In one embodiment, poultry necks are processed. A disc knife intersects a channel formed between upper portions of a pair of rollers. The disc knife slits the skin of the necks of the poultry. The rollers have intermeshing spiral configurations which engage the skin and pull the skin from the neck. In another embodiment, a chain-type feeder or conveyor engages a thigh or breast part and moves the part so that the skin is held against a pair of spiral rollers. The rollers engage or remove the skin from the part.
Problems have been experienced with the adjustability of automatic skinning machines to accommodate different size poultry parts and which achieve removal of substantially all of the skin from the part. Due to the nature of operation of the skinning rollers, the skin may be torn so that loose pieces remain attached to the part. A need, therefore, exists for a poultry processing machine which is reliable, efficient in use and which results in substantially all skin removal from the poultry part.